FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork has been fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness during the AFC championship game, his fourth fine of the season.

Giants vs. Patriots

The NFL acted after Wilfork received a 15-yard penalty for grabbing the face mask of Chargers running back Michael Turner with his right hand during New England's 21-12 win over San Diego on Jan. 20.

The fine brings Wilfork's total to $37,500 this season.

Wilfork, a first-round draft choice from Miami in 2004, was fined $12,500 for a low, late hit on quarterback J.P. Losman on Buffalo's first series of the third game. Losman missed the rest of that game and the next two with a sprained left knee.

A $5,000 fine was imposed after the sixth game, when Wilfork was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for a late hit on Dallas tight end Jason Witten.

Wilfork was fined $15,000 after the regular-season finale, when he poked his finger inside the face mask of New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.

Fines are having less and less of a deterrent effect. After a player commits about 3 or so offenses normally resulting in a fine, the league should tack on suspensions in addition to the fine. That's the only way to get a POS like Wilfork to stop this crap.